AZ House race roundup at RealClearPolitics

Today RealClearPolitics put out a roundup of House races to watch in Arizona - not surprisingly, it's every district where there's a race. Arizona is definitely shaping up to be a major battleground in which either party could net two seats come November.

Here's what RealClearPolitics has to say:

"Part ten in our series of House races we're likely to be watching six months from now heads to John McCain's backyard, where Republicans are thrilled to have some help at the top of the ticket. McCain's coattails, should they extend far enough, could help his party take back the two seats they lost in Arizona in 2006, but strong Democratic candidates aren't going to let it happen that easily.

--  Arizona 01: Thirty-five felony counts is a great way to convince an incumbent to retire from office, and that's just what Republican Rep. Rick Renzi plans to do. Democrats recruited former State Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, who has raised $660,000 and still has $465,000 in the bank, to try to win this district that sprawls from the Four Corners along the New Mexico border, on the eastern half of the state, and even includes some communities south of Phoenix. Kirkpatrick will have to get past activist Howard Shanker, who has raised $137,000 and maintains just $34,000 on hand, and former television anchor Mary Kim Titla, who pulled in $169,000 and kept $48,000 in reserve. Republicans have missed the opportunity to recruit nearly a dozen candidates, and at the moment trade association president Sydney Hay looks like the GOP's best shot. Hay raised $268,000 through March and still has $222,000 in the bank.

-- Arizona 03: After being petitioned by colleagues to seek another term, Republican Rep. John Shadegg has reconsidered an earlier decision not to run in 2008. He will face attorney Bob Lord, a Democrat who has raised an impressively large sum of money -- $832,000 through March, with $632,000 left over -- in a district encompassing many of Phoenix's northeast suburbs. Shadegg, who NRCC chair Tom Cole describes as a "paranoid incumbent," is taking nothing for granted and has already raised $1.24 million with $937,000 left in the bank. A poll taken for Shadegg that he referenced in his initial withdrawal statement showed him up by a hefty 30-some point margin, but the race could get pricey come the Fall.

-- Arizona 05: When he beat Republican Rep. J.D. Hayworth in 2006, Democrat Harry Mitchell became the only freshman to chair a subcommittee in the 110th Congress. But despite his position on the Veterans Affairs Committee, Mitchell is going to face one of several strong challengers this year, and he knows it. Mitchell has already raised $1.36 million and retains $1.1 million. The front-running Republican, at the moment, is former Maricopa County Treasurer David Schweikert, who has raised $681,000 and still has $514,000 in the bank. Former lobbyist Jim Ogsbury is in second, with $427,000 raised and $353,000 on hand, while two state representatives seem to be underperforming; Laura Knapereck has raised just $100,000 and has $44,000 on hand, while Mark Anderson has raised $55,000 and retains $70,000. Both Ogsbury and Schweikert have given themselves $250,000 in seed money. The district, based in Tempe and Scottsdale, leans Republican, and should lean more so with McCain at the head of the ticket, but Mitchell is hugely popular and starts at a big advantage.

-- Arizona 08: After defeating a very conservative Republican to steal a GOP open seat in 2006, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has proven one of the most prolific fundraisers in the Democratic freshman class. She's raised $1.9 million so far this year, with $1.67 million left in the bank to help her preserve her hold on the Tucson-based seat. Republicans were excited to recruit State Senate President Tim Bee, but after a slow fundraising start some of that enthusiasm slowed. Bee came roaring back in the First Quarter and now has a substantial bank account, with $752,000 raised and $525,000 cash on hand. This race feels like a tipping-point election: If Giffords survives this year, she will likely be safe for most of her career. If it's a close race, watch the GOP continue to target the seat for years to come.